Seong Moy Mosaic

Timeless Spirit is a large ceramic wall mosaic located in the I.S. M131 school common area/hall in New York, NY. The work was created in 1984 by renowned artist Seong Moy. Moy was born in China, but immigrated to the United States at the age of 10 where he began his artistic studies in earnest. He was primarily a painter and printmaker whose style encompasses Chinese influences in modern abstract forms. His work is revered and can be found in the permanent collections of numerous museums across the United States.

Timeless Spirit is approximately 25′ tall 19′ wide mosaic comprised of white earthenware clay with bright, elaborate glazes. The work is abstract in nature, with bright, bold, geometric designs. The design is broken into seven different sections, which use traditional Chinese influences, as was Moy’s usual artistic practice.

The seven sections are as follows: 1. Peace and Joy, 2. Palm of Buddha, 3. Double Happiness, 4. Festival Dragon, 5. Yin and Yang, 6. Blessing, 7. The Great Wall.

EverGreene collaborated with SuperStructures to conduct a conditions assessment and conservation treatment mock-ups of the historic Seong Moy mosaic, Timeless Spirit. The purpose of the assessment and conservation testing was to support recommendations for substrate and tile repair and removal by determining the most appropriate and compatible methods for treatment of the historic surfaces. The mosaic was found to be highly compromised, with many of the main issues relating to dirt and accretions; adhesion failure and missing tiles; and impact damage from prolonged use of the adjacent space. Various treatment tests were undertaken to address the issues and recommendations for future treatment were provided.